Sunday, July 28, 2019

She’s never left her home in the mountain wilderness of the
Canadian Rockies—until now. Little did she realize this journey would
change her life in every way.
The mountain wilderness of her family’s home in the
Canadian Rockies is all Hannah Grant has ever known. Now at the age of
twenty-four, she’s on a journey to help her father to find the son he
gave up for adoption three decades before. This is Hannah’s chance to
discover the life she’s missed out on so far—and hopefully find a
husband along the way. But she certainly doesn’t plan to fall for the
first man she meets.

Years in the cavalry provided Nathaniel
Peak with more than his share of violence and adventure. That life
behind him, he wants nothing more than to settle down in the beautiful
Montana mountains and raise his own stock—in peace. The last thing he
expects is the savagely wounded child who shows up in his barn. Nor the
woman he comes to rely on for the girl’s care.

Hannah can’t help
but fall in love with the brave Indian child who so desperately needs
her, but no matter what, she can’t let herself fall for the man whose
past choices go against everything she believes in. As the situation
grows worse, Hannah and Nathaniel are forced to make a heart-rending
decision to save the girl’s life. Little do they imagine, the choice
they make could spell disaster for them all.

My Review

I was surprised and glad the author brought a new element into this final journey story as the Heart of the Mountains series concludes. The reunion of Simeon (This Treacherous Journey, Heart of the Mountains #1) with his son Reuben (The Lady and the Mountain Call, Mountain Dreams #5) is bittersweet since Reuben's adoptive parents didn't share the story of his birth with him, and his mother is suffering from dimensia. On top of that, new neighbor Nathaniel is struggling to establish his ranch and has the burden of caring for a mysterious and wounded Indian girl who cannot be moved. Hannah finds herself to be the perfect solution, finding purpose in nursing the child and helping Nathaniel. A friendship and romance naturally develop, and I appreciated how their combined efforts brought them closer together and also bonded them both to the girl in their care. Danger, adventure, and healed family relationships made this book standout among the others in the series.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

The only hope to keep her newborn baby alive is to reach the
safety of her Indian people… This mountain man is the last person she
should trust to get her there.

As a half-Indian raised among her Peigan tribe, Moriah
Clark knows better than to trust white people. The tragedy that resulted
in her birth is proof enough. But when her trusted grandfather marries
her to a white man, she has no choice but to obey and hope this new life
isn’t her downfall. Her white husband turns out to be a decent sort,
but his unexpected death left her to birth a newborn baby among hostile
mountain men. She wants nothing more than to retreat to the safe haven
of her tribal upbringing. When a mysterious frontiersman arrives on her
doorstep seeking her deceased husband, his offer to escort her and the
babe to her people seems like the opportunity she’s been praying to
find. But can she trust him?

Samuel Grant has been sent to
retrieve Henry Clark for his sister’s wedding, but the sight that greets
him at the little cabin in the woods is not what he expected. Not only
has the man died, but Henry’s wife is fighting off an aggressive gang of
men at gunpoint—while trying to conceal a newborn. He can’t leave the
pair unattended, so helping her travel into the mountain country to
reach her family seems like the only option. If he can win her trust,
that is.

Such a grueling journey with a three-week-old baby will
be risky, but the challenges that arise test them far more than either
expected. When a devastating surprise increases the danger ten-fold,
Moriah focuses all her efforts on keeping her newborn daughter alive.
Maybe that’s why she doesn’t realize how much of her heart belongs to
the mountain man—until it’s too late.

My Review

I can't imagine traveling in the rugged untamed wilderness on the cusp of winter with a brand new baby! Moriah had so much fortitude to leave behind the home she built with her husband and seek out her mother's people. I came to like Samuel in the previous book that focused on his twin, so it was wonderful to read his story and see him be the hero to Moriah and her baby girl. They are strong together and over time she learns to trust him by witnessing his actions and manner that reflect his inner goodness. The journey is treacherous of course, and they pass through and overcome a variety of trials and obstacles, picking up a Native boy along the way who brings another dynamic to their small group. I love the adventure and sweet romance in this series!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Friday, February 22, 2019

She’s desperate for a new life in the Canadian mountains…He’s the last person she should trust to get her there.

After her husband’s death, Rachel Gray is finally free
from the turmoil his addictions caused. She wants nothing more than a
new life with her twelve-year-old son. If she can reach her brother in
the wilderness of the Canadian territories, they’ll have help to start
over in peace. She knows better than to put her life in the hands of
another man, but she never expected the Montana mountains to be so
treacherous. When two brothers invite her to join their small group
traveling to the same area, she refuses. After she and her son narrowly
escape a bear attack, she’s forced to admit they need the safety of
numbers in this untamed land. If the men prove dangerous, she can always
leave with her son and strike out alone again.

Seth Grant has
made some bad choices in his life, but God healed him from the addiction
that mired him in his sins. Now, he’s determined to live the life God
called him to, starting with a journey northward to see the Canadian
mountain both his brother and sister have fallen in love with. When he
discovers the woman and boy who plan to travel the same mountain trail,
he can’t fathom why she refuses to join in the safety of their larger
group. Though her decision seems unwise, he has no other choice but to
pray God provides her protection.

Despite Rachel’s best efforts,
she can’t seem to fight her attraction to Seth—until a secret from his
past proves he’s not at all the man she thought. When a new peril
threatens her son’s life, she must choose between trusting in what she
can control, or the man who her heart says is trustworthy, no matter his
previous sins. The path she chooses just may determine whether she can
step into the new life God has in store for them all.

My Review

I can always count on this author to take me on an adventure in the wilderness, bringing the dangers and beauty of the vast mountains and forests to life. Rachael is extremely protective of her son and doesn't trust strangers or men after the hardships in her life. I admired her determination and independence in relocating to make a new life for them. I couldn't help but feel for her as she is alternately fierce and vulnerable. Seth is so patient as he proves to her that he and his traveling companions are worthy of her trust as they continue on in a group for safety. Plenty of hair-raising adventure as they forge through the mountains and confront not only the dangers there but also their inner turmoil. I appreciate the subtle message of faith as Rachel and Seth both learn to rely on the Lord for peace and strength.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Monday, October 8, 2018

As the fifth daughter in
a family of nine, Noelle Grant spent her life striving to be unique.
Her love of telling stories helps define her goal—to be known around the
country as one of the top news correspondents of her time. And what
better way to uncover sensational tales than to travel through the
mountain wilderness to visit her brother? The trip comes together
perfectly as she journeys with family friends who will be settling in
the same area. Her first inkling that things may not be as perfect as
she’d imagined shows up in the form of the mountain man hired as their
guide for the final leg of the journey.

When Daniel Abrams
agrees to guide the small group of easterners along his usual route
northward to the Canadian mountains, his gut tells him he’s making a
terrible decision. But if he doesn’t take them, who will? The crew’s
leader refuses to consider turning back. As they start out, Daniel can’t
help but notice the woman traveling under the care of her friends.
Though she appears too genteel to last long in these mountains, she soon
reveals a strength that draws him more than he should allow.

When
the dangers of this wilderness become more than the group bargained
for, Noelle must choose to delay her trip northward or proceed alone
with the man she’s come to trust against all reason. She never dreams
her decision will place her—and the man she loves—in a situation more
hazardous than any story her imagination could conjure.

My Review

I can always count on this author to take me on an adventure in the wilderness! The harsh circumstances bring out the true qualities of the characters, and it's rewarding when they learn that they are stronger than they ever imagined. Noelle is a woman of determination, and she takes it in stride when the plans for her journey go awry. I appreciated that she took the time to pray and feel guidance from the Lord for her decision to keep going and trust Daniel. This is when the story really picks up, and the seemingly never-ending series of dangerous obstacles facing them draws them closer together where they must rely on each other for survival against the looming winter storms as they struggle through the mountains toward their destination. Even though this is a series and the characters in each book are loosely connected, they can be read as stand-alones.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Widowed and with child,
Emma Malcom is fleeing from the reward offered for her arrest. She’s
innocent of the dirty dealings her deceased husband orchestrated, but
the angry townspeople didn’t stop to listen to her defense before she
narrowly escaped with her life. Now, she and her twin brother, Joseph,
must battle the mountain wilderness of the Rockies to reach Canada and
the clean start she craves. But when a fall from the rocky cliff leaves
Joseph wounded and weak, could the strange mountain man they encounter
be God’s gift to see them to safety?

Simeon Grant makes bad
choices. His deceased wife and twin babies are lost to him now because
of his reckless decisions, and the penance he pays by living alone in
this mountain wilderness is only a small piece of what he thinks he
deserves. When a city woman, heavy with child, appears on his doorstep
with her injured brother, her presence resurrects the memories he’s
worked so hard to forget. And when she asks for his help to travel
deeper into the mountain country, he can’t help wonder why God would
force him to relive the same mistakes he’s already suffered through. Or
maybe taking these two to safety could be the way to redeem himself.

But
when their travels prove more treacherous than he imagined, Simeon
finds himself pressing the limits of his ability to keep Emma and her
brother safe. Can he overcome the past that haunts him to be the man she
needs? Will Emma break through the walls around Simeon’s heart before
it’s too late, or will the dangers of these mountains be the end of them
all?

Joseph Malcom has spent
his life protecting those in need, but now that his sister is safely
settled with her new family in the Canadian Rockies, his help is no
longer required. That is, until he’s asked to safely retrieve the
priest’s cousin to help minister to the local Indian tribe. But his
passenger is not at all who he expects.

After the death of her
mother, Monti Bergeron has nothing to keep her in Montreal. While the
prospect of ministering to the Indians out West is daunting, she looks
forward to assisting her beloved cousin in his mission work. The life of
a nun may be just what she needs to heal her grief, serving her
Heavenly Father and fellow mankind, especially if no more pesky suitors
are around to ask for her hand in marriage. But the man who’s been sent
to guide her through the mountains might make her second-guess her plans
before she even begins.

As Monti settles into her ministry,
Joseph finds his wandering feet drawn back to the Indian camp. Monti’s
focus on God is more unsettling than he’d like to admit. Add to that her
beauty which tests his willpower at every turn, and she’s made it
crystal clear she doesn’t want a husband. But when his determination to
keep distance between them puts Monti in danger, protecting her might
require something Joseph might not be able to give.

Adrien Lockman is
through with the political unrest and bloodshed in his home country of
France, so he sets off to the Canadian territory's mountain frontier, in
search of a place where a man can live his own life in peace. The last
thing he expects to find is a woman, half-starved and half-frozen in a
shack nestled among the towering peaks of the great Rocky Mountains.

Mary
Standish thought she'd finally found a place where she was accepted,
trapping with her husband for the Hudson Bay Company. But when he dies
after a gruesome grizzly fight, she determines to carry on their work.
After all, life in these remote mountains is better than enduring the
scorn and snubs of "civilized" folk. When she's forced to face a winter
harder than any she's endured yet, her stubbornness may just be the
death of her. Until a stranger appears at her ramshackle door.

Adrien
had planned to explore the mountain country all winter before he
settles down to build a farm in the spring, but he can't leave this
woman to die in the elements. Even though she seems desperate for him to
go. As Mary regains strength, she's torn between wanting to save her
dignity, and craving the respect of this man who's slipped past her
defenses. As the winter worsens, the truth becomes all too real--the
only way they'll survive is together.

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